Ex-NBA Ref Steve Javie: Rockets' Chris Paul 'Very, Very Difficult' to Deal with

Former NBA referee Steve Javie is speaking out against the criticism Houston Rockets star Chris Paul has for officials.

Speaking to Frank Isola on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Javie said Paul is "very, very difficult for referees" to deal with because "it seems like he has a disdain for" them. 

Javie noted Paul's competitiveness might get the better of him at times, "but at some point, you would think, in your career, that you would maybe learn to control yourself more or be a little more mature and he's not.”

Paul was ejected from the Rockets' Game 1 loss to the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference quarterfinals Sunday for receiving two technical fouls. The second technical foul came with 4.4 seconds remaining when he brushed against referee Josh Tiven while arguing a non-call against Klay Thompson. 

Rough Ending for the Rockets

The NBA announced Monday that Paul had been fined $35,000 for making contact with an official. 

Paul has a long history of publicly criticizing officials. He was docked $25,000 in February 2015 while playing with the Los Angeles Clippers for telling reporters Lauren Holtkamp gave him a "ridiculous" technical foul and "this might not be for her."

Scott Foster, who will be a referee for Game 2 of the Rockets-Warriors series, also has a history with Paul. 

"Yeah, Scott Foster at his finest," Paul told reporters in Jan. 2018 after being called for a technical foul late in a win over the Portland Trail Blazers. "You know what I mean? He just never fails."

Paul and the Rockets will try to regain their focus heading into Tuesday's critical game at Oracle Arena. They haven't won a playoff series after losing the first two games since 1995 against the Phoenix Suns.